Contact: Stephanie Worth/Marie Rosa
Adams Unlimited Public Relations
(212) 956-5900/C: (201) 349-4904
**Diving Equipment &Marketing Association Prominent In Fighting Extension of Sewage Outfall Deadline**
San Diego, CA – In 2008, Florida lawmakers set a timeline for South Florida to stop pumping 300 million of gallons of sewage a day into the oceanby the year 2025, and to treat most of the region’s wastewater to reuse for other purposes. In recent months several Miami lawmakers introduced a new bill that woulddelay the 2008 deadline to stop dumping sewage into the ocean until the year 2030.
With DEMA and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) among others in opposition to the new bill, Florida’s Senate Committee on Community Affairs approved a strike-all amendment that maintains the 2025 deadline.
“We are grateful to be involved in the effort to prevent the extension of the sewage outfall on Florida’s reefs,” said Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “Our goal in doing so was and is to help keep the water and reefs healthy so divers will continue to have a clean environment in which to dive.”
DEMA’s position was that dumping wastewater into Florida’s oceans has damaged beaches, marine life and coral reef. “We just want to close the pipes as soon as possible and keep them closed, reducing ocean pollution,” Ingram concluded. “The dive industry will continue to support the campaign against contaminating Florida’s water – any water - with sewage.”
DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and growth of the recreational scuba diving and snorkeling industry. With more than 1,400 members, this non-profit, global organization promotes scuba diving through many initiatives including consumer awareness programs, and media campaigns, the national Be a Diver campaign and produces the annual DEMA Show, a trade event open only to companies doing business in the scuba diving, action water sports and adventure/dive travel industries. DEMA Show 2011 will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, November 2-5, 2011. For more information on DEMA Show visit www.demashow.com, join us on Facebook or follow us at www.Twitter.com/DEMA_Show. For more information on DEMA call (800) 862-DIVE (3483) or (858) 616-6480 or visit www.dema.org. For more information on DEMA’s “BeA Diver” campaign visit www.BeADiver.com, join us at www.Facebook.com/BeADiver or follow us at www.Twitter.com/BeADiver.
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